Finding the right tattoo artist is a bit like finding The One minus the confessions and the vow to live together ever after. It’s already tricky finding that back home and now you have to find Bali tattoo artist with all the language barrier and an entire set of complication of purchasing a service abroad.
This isn’t exactly a bulletproof guide on how to find just the right Bali tattoo artist for you. But rather, we’ll talk about pointers on how to make your communication with your tattoo artist smooth-sailing.
When getting Bali tattoo you should feel comfortable
Never underestimate your very own comfort whenever you’re purchasing a tattoo service. You need to pay attention to this particularly since you’re going to get Bali tattoo and everything is going to be undergone abroad. Listen to your guts.
Talented tattooists & tattoo Bali community
Bali is swarmed with talented tattoo artists from all over the world. They love to flock here, whether for a temporary guesting at certain tattoo studios, or staying here for good among the expat community. With that said, Bali certainly does not lack local talents. The island is filled with talents from all around Indonesia as well. And speaking from experience, it’s definitely an absolute pleasure to be able to work with the locals here.
The tattoo artist Bali makes effort to communicate with you
Now that we’ve established that tattoo artists are in abundance on the island, there’s the fact that there are things like language barrier that could possibly be a major hindrance for you to get Bali tattoo. This isn’t something you have to worry about when getting inked back home. And it’s a valid concern. However, not to fret, the Balinese and the Indonesian locals in general are very welcoming. Many of them speak fluent English. Many certainly have limited language skills, but it never posed a major problem with getting tattoo Bali so far.
If you truly are concerned, here are several things you should prepare when you’re consulting:
- The rough tattoo design or something similar to what you want. Communicating with illustrations is so much easier. You’ll thank yourself later if you’ve prepared this.
- Prepare text that highlights the features of your tattoo design. Sometimes people aren’t so good at catching what’s spoken, but with text, they’ll be able to look it up easily.
- The old school pen and paper. To help you during the time you explain your tattoo. Too difficult to put to words plus the language barrier? Then sketch it out!
You have to be comfortable around the tattoo artist
We talk about comfort a lot here. But what should you be on the lookout for when it comes to comfort? Aside from listening to your guts, here are some quick pointers:
Signs when to avoid Bali tattoo artist:
- They have an “attitude”; either they think they’re too good or to hip to do your tattoo, or they talk down on you. This has never happened to us in Bali personally (the locals are just so friendly!) but we in the tattoo community are aware it’s known to happen.
- The artist isn’t sanitary. A huge red flag. While communication and the fact that they must “click” with you matters, also pay attention to some of the most fundamental aspects of tattooing; hygiene. Does your artist reuse their disposables (needles, gloves, ink)? What about their workspace? Is it clean and well-lit? (You do NOT want to draw on dimly lit spaces!)
Relevant readings for you: Canggu Tattoo Design Ideas for Balinese Tats